Dog, Believed Killed By Neighbor, Turns Up One Year Later 70 Miles From Home

August 6, 2018

A family in Greenwood, South Carolina thought their beloved pit bull was gone forever, until they got a call from a woman nearly 70 miles away in Greenville, a year after they thought their dog was dead.

Esther Atkins finds missing dog
Credit: Esther Atkins on Twitter

Ratchet was was reunited on Friday with his owner thanks to world-class marathon runner Esther Atkins.

Atkins was walking her border collie, Grace, this week near their Greenville home when she noticed a dog cowering in a mud puddle. After some friendly sweet talk, Atkins said that the timid dog followed her home, where she went to work on social media trying to find his owner.

Esther Atkins found missing dog thought dead

Then she took him to a vet, where they learned he was microchipped. The Humane Society of Greenwood helped identify the owner, who had reported Ratchet missing a year ago.

Atkins shared pictures with Rachet's owner, who said her young daughter started to cry when she saw him.

"You really don't know how much this means to my kids and me," she said.

According to Ratchet's owner, a neighbor frustrated that the dog often ended up in his yard told the owners that he'd killed their pup.

Atkins arranged a reunion on Friday morning. Ratchet's family drove up to retrieve him and Atkins captured the happy reunion on video.